'chopsticks' on Serious Eats

A single chopstick is a very lonely chopstick. How can he dexterously scoop up noodles without his friend? But there comes a point in every chopstick's life when he must quest for personal identity and independence. Chopsticks by Amy Krouse Rosenthal with illustrations by Scott Magoon, is the classic chopstick coming of age tale. Enter to win a copy here. More

[Photograph: Hog Wild] Fail-proof chopsticks that are joined at the top usually strike me as unnecessary, but then I saw these colorful chopsticks from Hog Wild and thought, "Those are still unnecessary, but I sort of want them." They come in four styles, eight kinds each ($2.25 per stick): Dino Sticks, Farm Sticks, Zoo Sticks, and Fish Sticks. Time to get those Ankylosaurus-themed eating utensils you've always wanted! [via Geekologie] Related Videos: Feeding a Cat With Chopsticks Magnetic Chopsticks That Recreate the Feeling of Pulling Apart Wooden Chopsticks Chopsticks Aid, a Fork Attached to Chopsticks The Boundless Value of Disposable Chopsticks (and More)... More

Photograph from Microworks "Stickpecker," a pair of reusable chopsticks from Japanese design studio Microworks recreates the feeling of breaking apart wooden chopsticks with a magnet and features subtle woodpecker and branch designs at the base of the chopsticks. $38 from Tokyomade [via Bree Lundberg] Related Chopsticks Aid, a Fork Attached to Chopsticks Chopsticks + Cutlery = Choplery... More

If you find yourself in Asia without chopsticks chops, consider the Chopsticks Aid. The sleek-looking fork face attached to sticks was designed by a Czech man named Jaroslav Kucera. Because, you know, those Czechs are always looking out for our chopstick dexterity. Or you could just learn how to use chopsticks. [via conky] Related Chopsticks vs Fork [Talk] Serious Eats HQ Got New Sporks An In-Depth Tribute to Sporks... More

Holy canoe! Not wanting to see so many wooden chopsticks go to waste at the city hall cafeteria where he worked, Shuhei Ogawara collected over 7,000 chopsticks for two years, then glued them together over three months, resulting in this 13-foot long canoe. At 66 pounds, it's a bit heavier than your average canoe, but a launching ceremony in May at Lake Inawashiro in Fukushima, Japan, will determine whether it'll be smooth sailing or not. [via Gizmodo]... More

There's so much activity over at Serious Eats Talk, we've got lots of great people leaving interesting comments that maybe not everyone gets to see, so I decided I'd highlight my favorites from the past week or so. They run across the spectrum of emotions, but they're all fabulous: Tragic "Funny story - the hub and I were in New Orleans for the World's Fair in 1984. We ate at the Japanese pavilion's restaurant. The restaurant only provided wooden chopsticks, the kind that you have to break apart, no forks. The couple at the table sitting next to us had no idea how to use them. They were scooping up the food with the chopsticks still joined. It was comical.... More

How to use chopsticks. The step-by-step photos are really useful for learning position, and the animated gif at the top of the page is great because it ties it all together. It takes about five minutes to learn the basics, and with a little practice you'll be set. Food tastes better with chopsticks!... More